"We have long been calling on the Department of Education to ensure safety in our schools and for parents to play a central role in the education of their children, including their discipline. We expect our schools to be free of drugs and weapons that can endanger the lives of both the teachers and learners," provincial secretary George Themba said in a statement.

"We reiterate our call for the department to address safety concerns and for police to do random searches in our institutions. Further, we urge communities to take their rightful place and defend schools and teachers, as violence against these institutions leads to the regression of society."

According to the education department, there had been an altercation on Wednesday regarding "feeding the boy", who had been in a queue and had been reprimanded by the teacher.